Method of manufacturing fiber-reinforced composite material

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite material which is molded by impregnating a fiber-reinforced sheet with a resin and curing the resin includes: placing the fiber-reinforced sheet in a cavity of a mold; and molding the fiber-reinforced composite material, the molding including injecting the resin into the cavity of the mold, impregnating the fiber-reinforced sheet with the resin, and curing the resin. In the molding, after fine air bubbles contained in the resin are placed at a predetermined position of the cavity, the resin is cured.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite material which is molded by impregnating a fiber-reinforced sheet with a resin and curing the resin, the method comprising:
 placing the fiber-reinforced sheet in a cavity of a mold; and 
 molding the fiber-reinforced composite material, the molding comprising injecting the resin into the cavity of the mold, impregnating the fiber-reinforced sheet with the resin, and curing the resin, 
 wherein in the molding, after fine air bubbles contained in the resin are placed at a predetermined position of the cavity, the resin is cured, 
 wherein in the molding, a first resin containing the air bubbles is injected into the cavity through a first inlet provided in the mold, and the air bubbles contained in the first resin are placed at the predetermined position by injecting a second resin into the cavity through a second inlet provided in the mold, the second resin including an amount of content of the air bubbles less than an amount of content of the air bubbles of the first resin. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of manufacturing a fiber-reinforced composite material according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the air bubbles contained in the resin are subdivided to fine air bubbles by applying ultrasonic waves or vibration to the resin before being cured.